Winter 200X
by SuprSmashKid
Summary: This fanfic won first place under the Best Literature category in the 2001 Winter Funfest at Starmen.Net. Enjoy.
1. Prologue-Chapter 3

EarthBound: The Winter of 200X  
Written by SuprSmashKid  
(Note: All characters depectied within are ©1995 APE, Inc. This was written purely for fun and such.)  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
Monday, November 24- 7:12 AM   
Northern Onett  
Gray and cold was the only thing Ness saw when he opened the blinds in the morning. The third day of   
winter and the largest recorded blizzard hit Onett, as well as parts of Twoson and Threed. "Crap,"   
Ness said to himself. He had made plans with his friends earlier to see the Runaway Five show, back  
in Twoson for a limited time. "Ness? I think you're going to have to cancel your plans today. There's   
already a foot of snow on the ground, and the snow started falling an hour ago." Ness sighed and   
ambled over to the phone in his room.   
  
7:15 AM   
Polestar Preschool  
"I know, Ness. The snow isn't very bad here yet, but we're expecting it to hit hard any time soon. My   
mother closed the school for the next few days, in case the storm blows over." Paula could tell that   
Ness wasn't happy canceling plans they had for almost 2 weeks. She had been looking forward to   
seeing Ness, Jeff and Poo again. "Don't worry, Paula. The storm isn't very bad yet. Let's hope none   
of the power lines are disconnected." Paula rapped her hand a few times on her desk. "Knock on   
wood." She heard Ness do the same. "I can't believe you're still superstitious about that stuff." Paula   
sighed. It was going to be a long day trapped indoors.  
  
7:33 AM   
Snow Wood Boarding House  
Jeff was still half-asleep, but he understood Ness completely. Winters had some bad blizzards, and   
this year was said to be the worst. "I'm sorry, but I don't think the Sky Runner would be able to take   
the force of the snow. You'd have to land it in Fourside. And since the public transportation lines are   
closed, you'd have to walk from Fourside to here and I don't want to put you at risk. You could get   
pneumonia." Jeff was stubborn sometimes, but knew when to call it quits. "I understand, Ness. Let's   
hope this is only a freak blizzard and that it blows over quickly." Ness agreed, said goodbye, and hung   
up. Jeff was stuck with Tony for the day. Great.  
  
7:59 AM   
Dalaam  
Poo hung up the phone. No more reunion, he thought to himself. In Dalaam it almost never snowed, but  
today was an exception. Prince Poo found himself wrapped in a blanket in front of a fireplace, thinking  
about what to do for the rest of the day. He had canceled all other plans just for this concert, and now it   
was canceled. "Prince Poo, you have a visitor." Poo was too cold to meet with anyone. "Tell them I'm   
busy." This was going to be the most boring day of his life. And he had to spend it alone.  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
9:03 AM   
Ness's House  
Ness was sitting and watching the snowfall from the sky. Well, I said I wanted something to change and  
I got it. No use whining about it now. Ness was just about to tell his inner voice to shut up, when he heard   
his sister call him. "What is it, Tracy?" He waited, but no response. Ness sighed and opened the door to   
his room. Right before he opened the door, he heard a splot! Against his window. He turned around to   
see a portion of his window covered with snow. "You're gonna get it now, little sis," he said to himself. He   
made his way downstairs, put his winter coat, winter boots, and snow pants on, and carefully opened the   
front door.  
Whump! He heard the snowball hit before he felt the cold on his face. Ness brushed the snow off as   
quickly as he could and when he could see again, he saw Tracy standing about 10 yards away, snowball   
in hand. Gotta move fast, he thought to himself. He stepped outside, closed the front door, and headed   
for the left side of the house as quickly as he could. This maneuver took almost 2 seconds to finish, and   
when he reached the side of his house, he heard another whump! As a snowball bounced off the front of   
the house. He crouched as he ran around to the back of his house, so he didn't get hit in the head with   
anymore snowballs.  
He reached the back of the house, and stood against the edge, peeking out to see if his sister followed   
him. Luckily, he spotted her without Tracy noticing him. Ness bent down and quickly created a snowball   
for himself. When he leapt from his hiding spot to hit his sister with the snowball, she was nowhere to be   
seen. He began to take a step forward when he saw a snowball flying up at him. A quick step to the right   
and the snowball missed completely. He saw her now; she tried hiding herself underneath the snow, but   
that throw shifted her coat, moving some of her cover around. Ness threw the snowball into the air and   
ran away. He could hear his sister scream when the snowball hit her in the back of the head. "Yes!" he   
said to himself. He made a quick U-turn to see if Tracy was getting up. She was facing the same direction   
as Ness.  
Ness stooped down to make another snowball while his sister couldn't see him, when he felt a cold   
thump! On his backside. Ness quickly turned around and saw Paula standing right behind him, snowball   
in hand, smile on her face. "Ha ha, Ness! I got you!" Ness growled and threw an unfinished snowball, which  
crumbled apart and drifted back to the ground. "Uh, Paula! Have I told you how much I love you, and how   
much more I'd love you if you dropped that snowball?" Paula grinned more widely at this. "Okay, Ness."   
She lifted the snowball, and slammed it on the back of Ness's neck. As a reflex, his back straightened,   
making the snowball slide down his back. "AHHHHH! That's cold!" He stood completely still for a few   
seconds, patting his lower back trying to get the snowball to finish melting.   
"Who said we couldn't have any fun today?" Paula asked. Ness knew she was right. Just then his mother  
opened the front door. "Ness! Come inside, dear! Oh, hello, Paula! You may come inside as well, before   
you catch cold. And Ness, be a dear and get your sister also." Tracy appeared from behind the house,   
dropped her snowball, sighed, and stepped inside. "Come on Ness, it's freezing out here!" With that,   
Paula stepped inside. Ness shrugged and stepped inside, making sure to take his snow boots off at the   
door, as well as clear off any snow particles on him.   
"Hang on a second, I need to go change." Ness hurried into his room and got rid of the winter clothes   
he was wearing, and put his favorite clothes on; a red baseball cap, a blue-and-yellow striped shirt, and   
blue jeans. He quickly toweled off any part of his body still wet, and made his way downstairs. Luckily   
for Paula, she brought some extra clothes along. As he walked past his sister's room, Ness could hear   
Tracy giggling about some boy band or some such nonsense. "Girls," he said to no one in particular,   
"can't live with them, can't live without them." He made sure Paula wasn't listening before heading   
downstairs.  
  
10:24 AM   
Somewhere in the Deep Darkness  
"Sir!" The guard gave a snappy salute. The man waved him off. "Major, give me a report on our project."   
The major still looked like he was 20, but he acted twice his age, which, next week, would be 36.   
"Commander, there seems to be something wrong with the specimen." The commander looked puzzled.   
"What do you mean?" The major stared back down at his clipboard. "The specimen seems to be growing   
at a faster rate than we could've expected. It seems to be capable of thinking, but we don't know if this is   
true." The commander's look changed from confusion to panic. "Get the lab boys in here. Tell them we   
need to stop this project!"  
Commander Dean Jacobs was not always an easy man to work with, but he knew when something   
went over the line. He will be turning 49 in 2 days, and he will be able to retire with a giant pension. Dean   
couldn't wait for the days of lying on the shores of Carillion Beach sipping a Gelato de Resort and   
watching the beautiful women walk by. Why yes, I once was in the army. Want to see my battle scars?  
He shook himself. He knew his lovely wife wouldn't allow this, but it was still his dream.  
This project was started when evidence of extra-terrestrial life was found in a cave deep underground.   
Cell samples were found and reconstructed piece by piece. Several of the lab workers, or white-coats, as   
Dean called them, said that the cave was meant to be kept in peace and that whatever happens in this   
project will bring bad consequences. Dean shrugged this off; He'd heard the story about the 4 kids and   
the alien, but there was never any evidence to prove the existence of the aliens until now. Having scientific   
evidence proving aliens exist would change the world, but the white-coats need a more complete   
structure to scan it. They're taking pieces of the cells, reproducing them, and reattaching them   
somewhere else in hopes that the cells will reproduce faster. That was stated around 2 months ago.   
Has it been that long? He thought to himself.  
Dean wasn't able to remind himself of the time. Just then, all the lights turned red and warning alarms   
sounded throughout the building hidden in the Deep Darkness. "What the heck?" The Major rushed in.   
"Sir, the alien tissues are reacting violently!" The Major rushed down the hall, with Dean right behind him.   
"Give me a report, Major!" The Major nodded. "When the doctors were ready to neutralize the tissue,   
something happened. Their eyes went blank and they didn't do anything. Suddenly, one of the doctors   
went completely crazy on one of the guards. It's like their minds were taken over." Dean had an   
expression of panic and worry. "The doctors sealed the room, and even though we have the 2-way mirror   
to watch them, it's unbreakable. All we can do is watch."  
Dean sat in the control room, watching everything that happened from when it began to 5 seconds ago.   
The scene was horrific as the guards were mutilated by seemingly peaceful doctors, the alien tissue   
controlling everything. After the guards were killed, the doctors put more effort into reconstruction of the   
tissue. Oddly, they left one guard alive and unconscious. After a few more minutes, the doctors stopped   
messing with the tissue and turned to the guard. He was placed on a table and received a dose of   
anesthesia, in case he woke up. In short, they transplanted the tissue into the brain of the downed guard.   
He looked through the 2-way mirror.   
The 7 white-coats just seemed to stand, watching and waiting. They wore the same blank expressions   
as when this whole mess started. For what seemed like hours, the doctors waited. Suddenly, a finger   
of the guard twitched a little. The hand raised up slowly and unsteadily, showing a thumbs-up.   
The doctors' blank expressions turned into cheerful smiles, as if they all won the lottery.   
"What in the world is this!?" Dean yelled. The doctors backed away from the changed guard, who   
made an attempt at sitting up. On the third try the guard sat up, shook his head, and investigated   
his surroundings. Dean accessed the intercom into the lab. "What are you?" The guard seemed to be   
much smarter than he used to be. "Hnnn..." The guard made a few strange noises, and suddenly fell   
into a blind rage. "Ness... Ness..."  
In a bright flash, the scientists, the lab equipment, and parts of the lab itself, dissolved instantly. The   
guard completely destroyed the lab room and everyone inside it with an attack that Dean could not   
comprehend. Guards outside the room began to open fire on the mutating guard through holes in   
the wall, but none of the bullets hit. They all bounced away from the guard. "It has some kind of force field!   
Cease fire!" There was another bright flash, and the mutating guard disappeared, leaving the laboratory   
in shambles. After a few moments of blank staring, Dean turned to the Major. "Get me the phone. This is   
bad."  
  
12:33 PM   
Ness's House  
Ness listened to the military officer and wondered how it was possible. The universe's ultimate enemy   
was reborn and most likely en route for Onett. "Do you understand, Ness?" Ness didn't answer. "Ness?   
Are you there?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I understand."   
"Be extremely careful, Ness. The guard is a human now, but may be able to mutate into other things   
as well. If you see anyone suspicious, or even people that don't look suspicious, stay alert." Ness said   
goodbye and hung up the phone, and thought of a plan of action. "Ness? Is everything all right?" He   
heard the knock on his bedroom door. "Come in, we have a problem." Paula entered, making sure to   
close the door again. Ness explained the entire situation. "A group of military research personnel found   
cells of Giygas in hibernation. The leader wanted to prove that aliens existed, but he couldn't prove   
they were alien cells unless there was a big enough sample. They reconstructed the cells, recreating   
Giygas itself. Of course, no one knew it was Giygas.  
"Once a tissue was formed and scanned, they found violent alien cells. The commander tried to stop   
the project, but before the scientists could destroy the tissue, it placed a block in their minds. This   
means the tissue can use its Psi-powers. The doctors, their minds controlled by the Giygas sample,   
attacked the guards, killing all of them save one, and locked the door to the room. The doctors   
transplanted the tissue into the brain of the remaining guard, infecting him with Giygas' influence.   
Finally, the changed guard destroyed the lab, escaped, and is supposedly on his way here."   
Paula shook her head in disbelief. "Impossible! We killed him." Ness thought for a moment. "We have  
to get a hold of Jeff and Poo, snowstorm or not." Ness reached for the phone when he heard a loud   
crash outside. Ness already knew what happened. "Telephone pole collapsed," Paula told him. She   
knew he already knew, but she could've been wrong. Ness picked up the receiver in hopes that a   
ground line was still available. No, the phone was thoroughly dead. Ness sighed. "Great. Now what?"  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
12:35 PM  
Winters  
Jeff was running through the forests of Winters as fast as he could, pistol drawn. He saw a giant object   
crash somewhere in the forest and knew things were wrong when the animals became more violent.   
After Giygas' defeat the animals became calm, but something was increasing evil influence in their   
brains. He knew this meant trouble, and that he would be the one to stop it. He saw thick smoke flowing   
in front of him, which meant he was on the right track. "Only a little further! Come on!" Jeff felt his lungs   
and eyes burning, but he continued forward.  
Suddenly he saw it. If Jeff would've taken another step he would've fallen almost 100 feet into a rocky   
pit. The impact crater was around 135 yards across and the deepest point looked around 65 yards deep.   
There was an odd-colored rock in the center. Jeff carefully lowered himself into the crater to investigate.   
Slowly, he climbed downward from one rock to the next that looked simple enough to get him back out if   
he needed to.   
When he reached the bottom and the odd rock, he felt a disturbing presence. Even though he didn't   
have Psi-powers, he could almost feel something near him, about to strike. Jeff turned and fired a quick   
shot from his pistol, and was relieved when nothing was behind him. He still had the feeling that   
something bad was going to happen, but he shrugged it off and turned back to the rock. The odd rock   
was a dark red color with yellowish lines running like cracks throughout the rock. It was 20 meters in   
circumference and 8 meters tall. Clouds loomed over and snow began to fall but the crater was still heated   
from impact so any of the snow that touched inside the crater melted.  
Jeff chipped some pieces of the rock away with a hammer and chisel, expecting something to jump   
out and attack him. Jeff had been letting his imagination run wild since the Giygas attack, because that   
proved that anything's possible. Just then, Jeff heard someone call him. "Jeff? Where'd you go?" Jeff   
sighed. Tony, he thought. Jeff packed the hammer, chisel, and rock samples in a plastic bag and put it   
in his backpack. He headed back for the crater wall, which would be a long climb.   
About 20 meters from the edge, the ground began to shake. Jeff turned around to see the rock explode,  
hurling red stones all throughout the crater. "What the..." Jeff stared at the 2-meter tall object, its silver   
skin reflecting light in all directions. Its tentacle-like arms were at its hips, and it had odd black   
markings on its chest. "A Starman!" Jeff drew his pistol again and fired at the Starman. It noticed Jeff   
and charged towards him. Jeff fired again, but the shot bounced off the Starman. "Dang! My Gaia Beam isn't   
doing any good! How is that possible?" In a matter of seconds the Starman was 20 meters from Jeff and moving   
fast. Jeff decided to bail and started climbing up the rocky edge.   
He climbed at a very fast speed, but the Starman was right behind him, reaching for his foot. Jeff   
climbed onto a small stepping stone, which crumbled underneath him. Jeff panicked and reached for   
the rock just above him but he couldn't make it. Jeff let his muscles go loose and began to tumble   
down the steep cliff. After what seemed like minutes Jeff hit the crater's bottom. He got up as quickly   
as possible and ran for the other side.  
The Starman, completely perplexed by Jeff's movement, began moving back down the mountain. It saw   
Jeff running for the other side and knew it wouldn't be able to keep up, since it used the jet booster   
during the charge. It raised a tentacle-arm and pointed towards Jeff. With the other tentacle, the   
Starman pressed a button on the elbow-area.   
Jeff heard the blast and kept running. Starmen can never hit moving targets with their beams; if  
they do, it's just by a hair-Jeff felt a burning sensation in his stomach as he heard a whack! Suddenly,   
he found himself rushing toward the ground as though his legs disappeared, but he could still feel them.   
The burning pain in his stomach spread into his chest. Jeff felt his strength fading and couldn't hold his   
eyes open. He tried to scream in pain but soon found his vocal chords were dead and he couldn't   
breathe. The burning pain spread into his upper chest and legs, and the last thing Jeff knew was the   
cold silence of the Earth.  
  
1:01 PM   
Ness's House  
Paula felt very dizzy all of a sudden. "Paula, what's wrong? What happened?" Ness was scared. Paula's   
eyes went blank for a few seconds. "Paula! Answer me! What's wrong?" A look of horror spread across   
her face. She screamed. "JEFF! NO!" Tears fell from her eyes like rain. "What happened to Jeff?"   
Suddenly Ness could feel it. The stinging, burning pain, almost as though he swallowed a torch. He   
blacked out and saw what he couldn't believe.   
Jeff was lying on the ground, a giant hole in his stomach. He saw something silver and large   
standing right beside Jeff's body. Ness woke up. He couldn't comprehend it. "He's... gone..." Ness felt   
the painful reality sink in and destroy his shock, replacing it with sadness and anger. Paula looked up   
at Ness and said, "How did the Starman do that?" Ness couldn't think about it. It was time to fight the   
evil again. The Apple never predicted anything like this. Ness stood up from his desk chair and opened   
his closet.   
Inside was his lucky yellow backpack that was a bit too small for him now, but still held what he needed.   
Ness pulled the zipper across and removed Gutsy Bat, a Star Pendant, a Cherub's Band, and a   
Souvenir Coin, and equipped them. "Do you still have your stuff, Paula?" She nodded. "In my room." He   
grabbed another coat, some boots and a ski hat and said, "let's go. We can't waste much more time."  
  
* * *  
  
Pokey sat in his SpiderMech and grumbled. He flowed through time like water through a pipe, looking   
for the best era to attack. The Starman Invincible hadn't contacted him since its landing and Pokey was   
concerned it was destroyed from the crash to Earth. Pokey knew to attack Jeff first because he was the   
only one without PSI; either Poo or Paula would be next. "Untrustworthy piece of-" He was cut off by a   
loud buzzing from the console. Pokey pushed a few buttons and a slightly blurry video screen lit up. This   
was being transmitted from the Starman's shoulder camera. Pokey couldn't figure out why it was blurry,   
but he typed a query into the control panel.   
"Did you find the target?" Pokey waited for a response. "Yes." Pokey sighed in relief. "What is the   
target's status?" Again, the wait. "Terminated." Pokey was overjoyed. His plans were following the proper  
order. The Apple of Enlightenment, as well as the Chosen Four, will be torn from the history books and  
Pokey will become ruler of Earth! Pokey went back in time to right before the Chosen Four entered   
Giygas' lair and extracted a few cells. Afterwards, he warped to the same location just before Dean   
Jacobs' research crew entered, and let the cells out.   
His luck hadn't run out; the cells were still alive, but near fatal condition, when Jacobs found them and   
helped them begin their healing process. Pokey headed back to the Cave of the Past while Giygas was   
alive and stole the Starman Invincible that Giygas had planned to use against the Chosen Four. So far it   
has proven itself worthy enough to continue its mission by destroying one of the Chosen Four. Currently,   
the Giygas-infused guard, now blessed with Psi and incredible power, will be searching for Ness while   
he and Paula were heading for Twoson. They'll find a surprise waiting along the Onett-Twoson path. His   
plans will not fail this time. He leaned back in his chair and fell asleep.  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
2:12 PM   
Southern Onett  
The police chief had the roads closed again, but Ness and Paula were able to slip right through. The   
snowdrifts were piling up higher than anyone expected. There was a house not far from where they were   
resting. Ness stood and said, "let's rest in there. It won't be half as cold." Paula stood, got balanced, and   
headed for the house with Ness. He thought he heard a noise that sounded like an elevator's doors   
opening, but couldn't tell. The wind was strong and his ears felt frozen.   
About ten yards away from the house, Paula tripped on a rock and fell on Ness, knocking both of them   
to the ground. Just as he hit the snow, he heard something loud fly just over his head. The area was lit   
up for a few seconds, then they felt an enormous heat wave. Paula screamed and clutched tightly to   
Ness's arm while he tried to turn around and see what fired that shot. He felt stuck, but out of the corner   
of his eye he saw something metallic and tall standing about 30 yards away. "Oh no." Ness grabbed   
Paula by the waist and picked her up. She turned and saw it. "Ness! What are we gonna do?" He got up   
and brushed the snow off his face. "Run!"  
She turned and headed for the forest connecting Onett and Twoson, a good 75 yards away. Ness   
started running towards Onett. He grabbed his bat and began screaming at the Starman. "Hey! Yo!   
Over here, tall, steel, and stupid! You want to fight, we'll fight my way!"  
  
* * *  
  
Pokey watched from the StarCam, as he called it, as Paula ran for the forests and Ness headed back   
for Onett, screaming at the Starman and waving his bat in the air. The Starman sent a message. "Which   
target?" Pokey thought for a moment. He typed the response "Ness", hoping the Starman was smart   
enough to know which was which. It did, and started heading for Ness.  
  
* * *   
  
Ness readied his bat as the Starman headed for him, but was caught off-guard when it was almost on   
top of him within a matter of seconds. Quickly regaining his senses, he swung at the Starman. A loud   
crack! Was heard and the top half of the Gutsy Bat flew in another direction. Ness was still holding the   
shattered bat remains when he saw a bright yellow glow from one of the Starman's tentacles. With quick   
thinking and perfect precision, Ness held the handle like a knife and swung for the Starman's eye-visor.   
The sound of glass shattering echoed for what seemed like forever, followed by a high-pitched whine   
that made Ness fall to his knees and cover his ears.  
Paula watched in shock as Ness escaped a near-death situation by blinding the Starman. She couldn't  
envision this happening ever again, but there it was, plain as day. A remnant of Giygas' army, and it was   
much stronger than starmen they had ever faced. She suddenly got the best idea she'd ever had. Paula   
dropped to her knees and began to pray. "Poo! Poo! Can you hear me? This is Paula! Ness and I   
need your help! A Starman on the Onett-Twoson path is attacking us! Poo, if you get this message,   
please help!"  
  
2:30 PM   
Dalaam  
Poo woke from a delightful nap. He jumped out of his bed and headed straight for his giant closet. With   
a systematic whoosh, the doors opened and Poo headed straight for the back. He knew exactly what he   
needed and where it was.   
Poo found the chest he needed. Inside were a cloak, a bracer, and a diadem. Poo grabbed them and   
equipped them and looked on one of the upper shelf for the last piece of equipment. He reached around   
for a bit, found his sword, and pulled it off the shelf. He did this in roughly 15 seconds.  
His master rushed in and said, "Prince Poo, what is the problem?" Poo explained while walking   
towards the main hall of the castle. "My friends are in trouble. They are under attack and I must help them.  
If you have a problem with this then you will have to try and stop me." He walked in to the central part of   
the hall and used Teleport Beta. In a flash, the prince was gone, with only his master standing in the hall   
looking rather confused.  
  
2:31 PM   
Onett-Twoson path  
Poo appeared roughly 5 feet away from Ness and held his sword at ready. The Starman's vision   
sensor was broken but somehow it still seemed to know he was there. He saw Ness kneeling on the   
ground in front of him, kneeling and holding his ears shut, even though a thick layer of blood covered his   
hands. In seconds, Poo found out why. There was an incredibly high-pitched whine coming from the   
Starman, a noise that sounded like all the screams of the souls from Hell combined into one   
soul-rendering noise. Poo's sword hit the snow with a thump, Poo kneeling right next to it. He felt a   
smooth warm liquid flow from his ears.   
Paula watched Poo fall to his knees. The sound wasn't quite as bad where she was standing, but she   
saw the toll it was taking on the other two. She moved out from her hiding spot, a dead tree trunk roughly   
50 feet from the Starman's position and behind it. Once she reached the clearing, she began chanting.   
"PSI Freeze Omega!" A blue light flashed from her fingertips and hit the Starman, freezing him and making the   
horrible sound stop.   
Ness and Poo slowly regained their senses and stopped covering their ears, which were soaked in the   
red liquid. Paula caught their attention and waved them over towards her. Poo grabbed his sword and   
headed toward her. Ness appeared frozen to the ground. He had been the closest to the Starman and   
may have been affected by her PSI Freeze. She knew the Starman wouldn't stay frozen much longer;   
cracks started appearing all around the icy shell.   
"We can't leave him there, the Starman will kill him!" Poo was cleaning his hands in the snow when he   
noticed Ness wasn't there. He noticed Ness attempting to pull his legs free from the ground next to the   
Starman. Poo jumped to his feet and ran straight over, sword in hand.  
"Ness! Give me your hand and I'll pull you to safety!" Ness reached, but his legs wouldn't give at all.   
Poo pulled with all his might, but it didn't work. The ice holding the Starman began flaking off, a sign of   
ice being broken. Poo cut a hole in the ground, making the icy ground loose. He pulled and Ness came   
free from the ground, but his legs were still frozen together. Ness fell back to the ground after making an   
attempt to run. One of the Starman's tentacle-arms broke free and started clawing at the rest of the ice. Poo   
picked Ness up at the waist and carried him back to Paula's hiding spot.  
Paula was relieved when she saw Poo and Ness heading for the forest. "What took you guys so long?"  
Poo shivered and said, "The ground here isn't very loose." He pointed at Ness's knees, which were   
stuck together by a thick layer of earth. "Can't you get it loose? That Starman is just about free!" Poo   
sighed and reached for his sword. Ness looked a little scared. "Wh-What are you gonna do with that?"  
Poo looked at the chunk of ground stuck to his friend's knees. First sideways, then in the front, then   
sideways again. After thinking for a moment, Poo grabbed his sword and swung twice.  
The frozen ground crumbled away like particles of a broken cookie. Ness sighed, and the others   
followed suit. The shattering of ice was heard, and everyone ducked. For a moment, all was silent.   
Suddenly a beam shot straight for the tree behind their hiding spot, turning it into a pile of smoldering   
ashes. Several other beams toasted several other trees, until it looked like only half of the forest   
remained. After a few minutes, everything became quiet again.   
For minutes, it stayed this way. Nothing made noise, no one moved, and nothing happened.  
With no warning, Paula leaned up and began chanting. The Starman seemed to see her and started   
firing wild shots of PSI Freeze Gamma. After what seemed like forever to Ness, Paula shouted "PSI Thunder Omega!"  
Bolts of lightning rushed from her fingertips, only one striking the Starman. One was enough to stop it   
completely. Ness and Poo watched the Starman crumble away into nothingness, and Ness started   
cheering.   
"Yes! You did it, Paula!" Ness exclaimed, but when he looked at her, his excitement disappeared. She   
was covered in a thick layer of ice, freezing her all the way to her faded blue eyes, still open in shock.   
Poo caught the look from Ness and immediately knew what was wrong. "We have to get her to a hospital   
quickly!" Ness was frantically looking for a way to move her without freezing. He got an idea. "Poo, run   
to Twoson and get help! I'll find a way to try to melt the ice! Hurry, Poo!" When he turned towards Poo,   
he was gone. Ness turned and headed for the still-warm ashes of the Starman, hoping his idea would   
work.  
  
Can Ness and Poo save Paula in time?  
With one of the Chosen Four dead, does Pokey have a chance at winning?  
Is the new Giygas truly after Ness just for revenge?  
  
Part 2 next week! 


	2. Chapters 4-5

CHAPTER 4  
  
Edges of Space and Time  
Pokey watched the events unfold. Ness destroyed the vision screen, creating a panicked   
message from the Starman. Pokey took it into manual control, using the slightly blurry   
StarCam as his vision. The high-pitched eruption of noise from the Starman kept Ness at   
bay, followed by both Ness and Poo. Then the blue blur across the camera, as well as   
Ness and Poo recovering from the noise occurred. Pokey tried frantically to free it, but   
it took a while. Ness and Poo escaped somewhere behind the Starman. He got the ice   
broken off, and turned and fired the special beams at random trees. Then the use of PSI   
Freeze Beta at tree trunks, since the laser battery had overheated. Suddenly, Paula   
appeared and seconds later a loud static noise was heard as vision was lost. "How can   
this happen? That was supposed to be invincible!" Pokey almost knew what would happen   
now. He had to find the Giygas-mutant and get him against Ness and the others, which   
wouldn't be an easy task. By stealing the Starman Invincible, the trust that Giygas had   
in him vanished and Pokey became Giygas' enemy.   
Convincing him would be tough, but he had been turned human again, so Pokey hoped   
things worked out. His plan wouldn't fail; he'd just have a tougher time getting the   
Chosen Four destroyed.   
Maybe by sending some Starmen into the future, or returning power to one of the   
Starman manufacturing base. That'll be all they'll need... Pokey chuckled at the   
thought. I need to take a break before anything else. I'll figure out what I want to do   
later.   
  
* * *   
  
Monday, November 24- 2:36 PM  
Twoson Hospital  
The doctor grabbed his emergency equipment and headed for the entrance. The weather   
was bitter and cold, but he had no worries about himself. The boy that called on him was  
standing outside waiting. "Ready, doctor?" The doctor tipped his hat and said, "Ready as   
I'll ever be." The boy nodded. "Good. Let's get going. I'll explain everything on the   
way."  
In no less than 5 minutes, the doctor saw what the boy was talking about. "Dear me!   
That's Paula Polestar!" Ness spun and saw the doctor and Poo walking into the clearing.   
"Her mother is going to be very worried." Ness was still standing next to the statuesque   
Paula. "But can you help her?" After a few moments of examination, the doctor gave his   
answer. "Not immediately, no. But I know how to save her. I'll call this in." From his   
emergency pack, the doctor pulled out his cell phone.  
"This is Dr. Jonathon Kerns. I need an ambulance and a pair of paramedics at the   
One-Two path. This is priority one." After he hung up, the doctor looked for ways to   
loosen Paula from the ground. Ness became impatient. "What can be done, doc?" He stood   
straight and cleared his throat. "Since the condition she's in is... Well, I won't mince   
words. She is dead. Her body's temperature has dropped so low that her brain has ceased   
to function. And if this hasn't happened yet, then it will soon."   
"Then why try to save her?"  
"She can be revived. If her body temperature is restored fast enough, then her brain   
will continue to function. But we can't just set her in a big pot of boiling water. The   
shock would have the same effect as just leaving her here." Ness shook his head in   
despair. "What are you going to do if this doesn't work?" The doctor gave Ness a hopeful   
look. "If we leave her in a room that's much warmer than average room temperature, the   
ice will melt off quick enough to save her, and slow enough to not put her in a state of   
shock."  
Just then, Ness got an idea. "I have an idea!" He exclaimed. He could hear the sounds   
of an ambulance in the distance, so he explained quickly. "In Saturn Valley, there is a   
hot spring that stays warm all year round. The average temperature during the winter is   
about 117 degrees. Would that work, doctor?" The doctor thought for a moment. "How long   
has she been like this?" Ness shrugged and said, "About 10 minutes, I think." The doctor   
nodded. "And where is Saturn Valley?"  
"Outside of Threed..."  
"Oh, definitely no! By the time you get there, she'd be gone."   
"Where then?"  
"Onett hospital is the closest and best choice." The ambulance was about 125 yards   
away. "How long will it take for her to heal in Onett hospital?"  
"About 4 to 6 weeks..."  
"That's no good! Can't you make that faster?"  
"It all depends on how quickly the ice melts, and this-" he tapped the ice a couple   
times. "-Doesn't look like it's going anywhere soon." Ness growled and began to say   
something but Poo stopped him. Poo said, "That'll be fine, doctor. We can wait." Ness   
groaned and muttered something mean under his breath. The ambulance pulled over roughly   
ten feet away and two men hopped out of the back. "That's the girl, doctor?" The doctor   
nodded and helped the two paramedics move the frozen statue. "You were right about the   
priority one, doc. I'm sure you know who this is."   
"Yes. These boys are her friends."  
"Where's the third one? That nerdy lookin' kid... Jeff! Where's he at?" Ness sighed.   
"It's a long story..." The paramedics and the doctor got the icy pseudo-statue into the   
ambulance. Poo sat in the passenger's seat in the front, and Ness rode in the back.   
"How long will it take for her to be normal again?" The doctor thought for a moment.   
"Well, there's the unfreezing, which may take 4 or 6 weeks. She will most likely have   
to go through rehabilitation, which will take up to 3 more weeks, depending on how   
quickly her muscles rework themselves. There may be some brain trauma, which means   
someone close to her should stay near her once the ice is fully melted. I suggest either   
her parents or one of you two..."  
Ness made up his mind. "Call me when the ice is gone. I'll stay with her." Poo shot   
him a look from the front seat. "You sure?" Ness nodded. "I'd be able to help her the   
most."   
"But what about-" Ness gave Poo a cold stare. "Err, never mind." The doctor ignored   
them and grabbed his hammer and chisel from his bag. "This ice looks strange..." He set   
the chisel gently on the very tip of the ice, hoping to crack it a little without   
damaging Paula. He swung the hammer, but when it connected with the chisel, nothing   
happened. He swung again. This time, the chisel snapped in half. "This ice is hard as a   
diamond. Odd... What happened to her, again?" Ness and Poo stayed silent. "Well? You   
can't keep the truth from me forever, you know. I can always examine the pile of ashes   
or the broken glass screen back on the path."  
"I told you, it's a long story."  
"I have time for a story." Ness growled. "I can't tell you just yet, doctor. Let's   
wait."   
The ambulance arrived at the hospital and unloaded everyone. Another doctor was   
standing at the door waiting for their arrival. "Hello, John. This is the patient...?"   
The other doctor thought for a moment, but shook his head. "Let's get the room set up."   
The two paramedics cleared the way of bystanders as the two doctors wheeled the stretcher  
holding the frozen Paula inside. The police showed up shortly after and told Ness and   
Poo, "There's nothing more you can do here."  
  
4:10 PM  
Ness's House  
Ness slammed the door to his room and sat on his bed. Poo had teleported himself back   
to Dalaam for some reason or another. Frustrated, Ness laid down and rested. He was going  
to have a long time to wait. The snow was falling fast enough to keep him out of school   
for another week or two. He couldn't do anything for Paula or Jeff. "Urgh, nap time..."   
Ness took his hat off and set it on the nightstand, and took a snooze.  
  
* * *   
  
6:56 PM  
Threed  
Ness opened his eyes and found himself in Threed. Night fell and the people of Threed   
began to re-enter their houses. The weather was still slightly warm, and the citizens of   
Threed were outside every day. Since the problems of the world were erased, they could   
be more relaxed than they've ever been. But Ness felt something coming. He had a feeling   
that something was about to happen, and he knew he wouldn't like it.  
A loud scream was heard from the southern section of the city, followed by several   
other screams. Giygas and its shell, the former guard, ran out of the tunnel leading to   
Dusty Dunes, several people ahead of him. Giygas grabbed the nearest person and tore him   
in half. This elicited more screams and people running, fearing for their lives. Ness   
started heading for Giygas, when, suddenly, Giygas did something strange. Everything and   
everyone in Threed became frozen in time, and a hole opened up in the sky. The inside of   
the hole was black, darker than anything he'd ever seen. The hole grew until it became   
the size of some of the larger buildings of Threed, then a great force began pulling   
upwards. A black hole formed in Threed.  
Giygas stood still as everything was sucked through the hole, people, buildings,   
rocks, trees; everything was pulled into the void. Ness couldn't believe the awesome   
power of the new Giygas. He spotted Ness and looked back toward the sky. Ness looked up   
and saw the hole getting bigger. It's enormous! How could Giygas have so much power? The   
hole stopped growing and the sky began to disappear. Ness realized the hole wasn't   
getting bigger; it was falling on the town. "Giygas! Wait! You'll destroy both of us!"   
Giygas looked back at Ness.   
The remaining humanity of Giygas' form still seemed to function with no delay. "You...  
I've waited for this day. You shall die!" Giygas emitted a bright flash that blinded   
Ness for a second. When the light dimmed, Ness looked around. The hole in the sky was   
gone. Few trees remained, and those that still stood were rotten and hollow. The build-  
ings that were still standing were covered in dust, and looked like they would topple  
any minute. Giygas was nowhere to be seen. Ness began exploring, when ghosts and zombies   
started appearing out of nowhere. Ness felt a vibration through his brain. "What you see   
now is what I would've had. This would have been my world."  
The zombies and ghosts began heading for the barren hospital. When they were almost   
upon it, a boy that looked like Ness except older ran out and began swinging at ghosts   
with a baseball bat. "Get out of here, evil monsters! You're not wanted!" The zombies   
moved in, and in one fell swoop, the boy fell over, with hordes of zombies blocking   
Ness' view. Ness turned away. "This isn't real, it's just a dream. This isn't real, it's   
just a dream." He heard an eerie laugh resonate throughout his brain, and suddenly, all   
went quiet.  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
7:46 PM  
Ness's House  
"Ness, wake up! It's time for dinner!" Ness awoke with a start, and noticed his sister  
standing over him. "Rise and shine, spanky." Ness breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's   
just you."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Nothing." Ness hopped out of bed and chased his sister out. He changed out of his   
pajamas and into some regular clothes, and made his way downstairs. He thought about what  
his dream meant all through dinner. Suddenly, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Ness said.   
He grabbed the phone and said "Hello?" There was a pause. "Is this Ness?"  
"Yes."  
"This is Dean Jacobs again. Did I, ah, disturb you during dinner?"  
"It's no problem. Have you found him yet?"  
"We're still looking, but we have found clues as to his whereabouts. My sources say   
he's somewhere in the Eagleland countryside, but they could be simple rumors."  
"Well, call me as soon as you get a real lead."  
"I will make sure to when we get something we can follow. It's been a long day so   
far."  
"Dean, you don't know the half of it, but I'll explain what I mean when we meet. When   
and where can I meet you?"  
"Give me a day of rest. I'll call on the 26th with location and time. Until then, I'll  
call if we get anything."  
"Thanks for all your help."   
"This project is too crucial to leave alone."  
"Well, good bye."  
"Good bye." Ness hung up the phone and sighed. It might already be here. That has to   
be impossible. Ness's mother looked puzzled. "Ness? What was that all about?" Ness sat   
back down and stared at his half-empty plate. "It's nothing, just someone from school   
seeing if I could meet him on the 26th to discuss something." He shifted his food around   
a bit. "Not hungry? Very well, you may be excused." Ness set his for down and walked   
into his room, shutting his door once inside. He changed back into his pajamas and went   
back to sleep, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.  
  
Tuesday, November 25- 12:10 AM  
Bush Hospital, Onett  
The few doctors that had to run the graveyard shift milled about, not doing much of   
anything. The most important part of their job was to watch over the frozen girl in room   
206. Dr. Kerns was still in the hospital, making sure nothing went wrong. The ice had   
successfully fended off drills, diamond-blade saws, and other tools without a scratch to   
its surface. He sat in the room, half-asleep, but still monitoring in case something   
happens. A nurse walked in just then. "Everything okay, doctor?" He became fully atten-  
tive and nodded. "Yes. Not much to observe today."  
Poo sat in the opposite corner, also observing. He opted to stay in the hospital in   
case something bad happened. That way, he wouldn't have to wait for a signal from Ness.   
Poo was observing with a different manner, however. He was using his PSI to communicate   
with and monitor Paula's mind. The signals were faint, but they were still there.   
Suddenly, a look of intrigue swept across Poo's face. Dr. Kerns caught the look. "What's   
going on?"   
Poo shook his head. "She wants to be moved to a room that has steel walls. Somewhere   
that has no glass or objects that can be broken."  
"What for?"  
"She has a plan. She won't tell me what her plan is, though." Dr. Kerns thought about   
it for a second. "Well, okay. Help me wheel her into the X-ray room." The nurse also   
helped, and in no time, they were a floor up and on the opposite side of the hospital.   
Poo and Dr. Kerns moved Paula onto the X-ray table. "Now what?" Poo paused for a moment,   
then replied, "Now we wait outside." Dr. Kerns shrugged and stepped outside the room,   
followed by Poo and the nurse. Poo hoped Paula's idea worked.  
A few minutes went by, and everything was quiet. Poo sat nearest to the door, medi-  
tating. Suddenly, there was a loud blast and Poo immediately regained his senses.   
Dr. Kerns jumped, but stayed fairly intact. The nurse had left for other business, and   
wasn't affected by the blast. Poo stood and slowly opened the door. The X-ray room was   
almost 25 degrees hotter than the rest of the hospital, and was filled with a fine fog.   
Poo entered the room and looked around. Luckily, nothing was too badly damaged, but the   
table looked rather sad and melted.   
The doctor looked stunned. "What did she do?" Poo quickly explained PSI attacks and   
how Paula got into her condition. "Interesting..." Dr. Kerns said when Poo was finished.   
"I may want to look into this 'PSI' some time in the near future." When the mist cleared,  
Dr. Kerns examined Paula and noticed the ice was completely melted away. "Which PSI skill  
was this?"   
Poo helped Dr. Kerns set Paula back onto a stretcher and said, "PSI Fire Beta." They   
wheeled Paula back into her room and set her on the bed.   
"The recoil from the blast bouncing off the ice must've knocked her into next week."   
Poo nodded and sat back in the corner while Dr. Kerns finished examining Paula. "Well,   
her vital signs are OK, but I'm not sure how fast she'll recover. She still looks like   
she's in shock, but the recovery time shouldn't be as long." He exhaled and wiped his   
forehead. "What I want to know is how she could still be alive, since no air could get   
through ice this thick. Maybe this 'PSI' is more than I thought. Well, I'll stay   
overnight in the Hotel. I'll leave her in your hands, since you seem to know what she's   
thinking." Poo nodded again. "If I need you, I'll call." Dr. Kerns nodded slightly and   
left the room. Poo watched Paula and slowly nodded off.  
  
12:17 AM  
Ness's House  
Ness woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. No one else woke up, so he crawled out  
of bed and picked up the phone. "Ness? It's Dr. Kerns. We met earlier during the, ah,   
incident with your friend." He mumbled a response and stretched, looking at the clock   
while doing so. "It's pretty late, doctor. What are you doing up?"   
"Looking after Paula. I'm in the Hotel right now."  
"How's she doing?"  
"Well, I can't quite explain it. You should get yourself to the hospital and ask your   
other friend."  
"I will." He said his good-byes and hung up. What the heck does he want me there for?   
Something must've happened... He changed into some warm clothes and quietly left his   
house. Ness thought of some theories on his walk. First, there was the obvious; nothing   
could be done and she'll be stuck that way forever. He stayed away from that thought.   
Some good ideas came to mind; the ice melted faster than the doctor thought. Ness   
developed on this idea.   
Finally, he reached the hospital. The nurse at the front desk recognized him and   
immediately said, "She's in room 206, sir." He nodded and rushed for the stairs. Ness   
looked at the numbers of the doors, looking for 206. "203, 204, 205, 207..." Ness   
stopped and looked through the hallway again. Room 206 was nowhere to be found. No empty   
spaces where the door could be, which meant the door couldn't be hidden. He checked the   
ceiling and the floor. Nothing marked '206'. He ran back downstairs to talk to the nurse.   
"There IS no room 206!" He yelled. "What do you mean, no 206? I have one Paula Pole-  
star marked down for room 206. There's no way the room could be missing. Let me check   
with the other doctors..."   
Suddenly, the hospital's lights went out. "What now?" Ness muttered to himself. A   
bright flash encompassed him and he hit the ground painfully. "What the--!" He could   
barely see it, but there it was. A giant floating spider. "Pokey! I thought you were   
dead!" Pokey laughed evilly. "Ha! You think I'd get wiped out by temporal naps?" Ness   
growled and kept alert, since Pokey could attack at any time and he most likely wouldn't   
be able to see it. "What did you do here!? I know you messed with time in this hospital!   
Where's room 206? Where's Paula!?"  
  
* * *   
  
Pokey chuckled. "Ness, you know me too well... Or do you? I'll explain it all to you.   
Remember your dream? The one where Giygas destroys Threed? Well, if you hadn't noticed,   
your dream was actually one I'd had a few months ago. All this time, I made you paranoid   
into the thought that Giygas is after you. He wants to kill me, in truth. Let me explain   
why...  
"Before your battle with Giygas, while my past self was preparing for battle, I   
appeared and stole Giygas' ultimate weapon; the Starman Invincible. He knew it had been   
a future version of myself, so he tried to kill my past self. Just then, you showed up   
and we fought. Giygas figured you were a bigger threat, and tried to get you first. I   
had the last laugh. When I turned off the Devil's Machine, I left him unable to harm me.   
This is when my future self appeared again and stole a piece of Giygas himself, which   
would be needed to re-create him in this time.  
"Afterwards, I returned to about 2 weeks ago, and planted the cells where I knew   
Jacobs' team would find the next day. I made sure they weren't dead by the time his men   
got there, and by then I sent the Starman Invincible on his mission. I knew Jeff had no   
chance, since lasers don't affect the Starman Invincible's metal. I also taught the   
Starman Invincible PSI Teleport ?, which is how he got to you so fast."   
Ness growled again. "Cut to the chase! Where's Paula? Tell me or fry, piggy!" Pokey   
laughed loudly. "Oh, Ness... This is what brings me the most joy. 30 seconds before you   
entered the hospital, I switched the numbers, replacing the 6 with a 7, and the 7 with   
an 8, and so on, until no trace of my adjustment appeared. This brings me the most joy   
simply because you took the bait! Fool! Oh, I'm sure you'd like me to finish telling you   
why I'm here. As I said earlier, Giygas learned his lesson earlier. He wants to kill me   
for betraying him, and he wants your help. I can't have that, Ness.   
"By my time scanners, Giygas has just entered Onett, and is tracking my SpiderMech   
with his awesome PSI powers. I plan to kill you, then him. And you can't stop me, Ness!   
Hit me with whatever you have!" Ness's anger peaked. "PSI Rockin Omega!" A bright flash   
flew from Ness' fingertips, heading for Pokey. There was a high-pitched noise, then the   
PSI disappeared. "Hahaha! You fell for it! My PSI-disabler worked!" Ness went at it   
again. "PSI Rockin Omega!" But this time, nothing flew at Pokey from his fingertips.   
"What!?" Pokey laughed. "I told you! At any rate, time to get you before Giygas gets   
here. Here I come!" Pokey charged straight for Ness.  
"Not so fast, fatty!" A shadow fell from the ceiling and smashed into the SpiderMech,   
deflecting it to the side. The outstretched claw missed my mere inches. "What the...!?   
Oh, dang! I forgot all about that Dalaam boy." He saw the shadow hit the floor, rebound,   
and hop to its feet. "Ness! Go get Giygas! I'll hold Pokey here!" With that, Poo charged   
for Pokey. "Go, Ness! Now!" Ness said nothing, and headed for the door as fast as he   
could. He turned back to the shadows on the ground. "Poo, be careful!" With that, Ness   
ran out the door.   
  
Will Ness be able to reach Giygas in time?  
Will Poo hold off Pokey long enough?  
What will happen to Paula?  
  
Stay Tuned... Part 3 next week! 


	3. Chapter 6-Epilogue

Winter 200X, Part 3 by SuprSmashKid  
(I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! -SSK)  
CHAPTER 6  
  
12:25 AM  
Southern Onett  
Ness could barely see, and was scraped by many tree branches along the path, but he found his goal. Giygas stood   
completely still. Ness could see his outline but not much else. I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, he thought. It   
shouldn't have taken that long to get here. He stopped a few feet away from Giygas, expecting an attack. Instead,   
what he got was a response. "Hello, Ness..." Ness took a step back. He heard something he'd never heard from Giygas before;   
a chuckle. "You have nothing to be afraid of, young one. I am here for the betrayer. I have no more quarrel with you,   
or with this planet."   
"I...I'm glad to hear that, Giygas." Ness motioned towards the hospital. "Pokey is in there. He's been wreaking havoc for   
some time now. I left Poo there to keep Pokey busy while I help you." Giygas chuckled again. "Who would've thought? Two   
old arch-enemies, and here we are talking as though it's all behind us." His voice was slow and deep, but Ness understood   
every word clearly. "So you are serious when you say you've changed your ways?" He saw the outline nod. "I have no use   
for evil. Evil only brings sadness, and I do not wish to wield evil's black sword any more." Ness nodded. "Let's go. We   
haven't a minute to lose!"  
  
* * *   
  
Poo stumbled and fell backwards, but managed to recoil in time to dodge another large spear. "Is that all you got, chump?"   
Pokey laughed. Poo was apparently losing, but he'd never let his opponent know. "It appears that your energy is running   
low, prince. Care to take a break?" Poo jumped to the side, drew his sword, and charged the SpiderMech. "Never!" Pokey   
was totally unprepared for this but caught Poo with a move he didn't notice until seconds before the sword pierced the   
SpiderMech's armor. One of the spider's legs appeared on Poo's side and connected with his ribs, knocking him into a wall   
roughly 15 feet away.  
Poo wheezed and knew he didn't have much more left. He sat down and set his sword at his side. Pokey advanced slowly.   
"I've got you now, little bug. There's no escape." Poo closed his eyes and meditated, with Pokey standing in front of   
him. "Want to give up? Or should I kill you now?" Poo stayed meditating. "C'mon, it's your choice." After a moment, Pokey   
stepped back a step. "Okay, fine. It's your funeral." Poo's eyes opened and turned white. A bright flash enveloped the   
room, even the darkest corners. A shadowy figure appeared. "Poo, you have trained well. Time to use your abilities against   
the enemy!"  
The flash quickly subsided, leaving Pokey temporarily blinded. "Yow! That hurt, you little punk! You're gonna get it   
now!" Pokey charged and lunged with the spider's front leg. Poo dodged to the side and said, "PSI Starstorm Omega!" Bits   
and pieces of PSI energy rained down upon Pokey's SpiderMech, but Pokey had one more surprise. "I have you now!" The   
Starstorm attack diffused into the bubble shield of the SpiderMech. Poo watched in horror as the energy was refocused   
into a laser cannon that sat on the SpiderMech's left arm. "Fire 1!" The cannon charged itself. "Aren't you gonna try   
to run, like your loser friend Jeff did?" Poo held his sword at the ready position.   
Seconds ticked by like hours. Pokey waited and said nothing. Finally, the cannon was charged. "Oh well. Good night."   
The cannon fired with an explosion that could've brought the world to its knees. After the explosion, all was silent.   
Trees rose and died, buildings were built and were destroyed, and after the minute that seemed like a millenium passed,   
the silence was broken. The clatter of metal on linoleum was heard, followed by a hollow yet dull thump. After that,   
the whirring noise from the SpiderMech slowly died out. "What the...?" Pokey exclaimed. The power returned, lighting the   
area, and Pokey saw the damage done. There was a gigantic red stain on the floor. Next to it was Poo's body, crumpled   
in a heap on the floor. The blade of Poo's sword was driven straight through the engine.  
Just then, the door flew open and Ness returned. He immediately saw Poo's dead body and gave Pokey an icy glare.   
"You're about to wish you'd never been born, you stupid scumbag." Ness took a step forward, allowing Pokey to see   
who was with him. Pokey dropped to his knees. "Giygas..." Ness whispered something to Giygas, and started walking for the   
stairs. Giygas turned to Pokey and said, "We meet again, betrayer." Pokey shook his head. "You say that like it's a   
bad thing." Suddenly there was a bright blue flash, and Pokey was knocked senseless. Giygas stared for a moment, and   
dropped to his knees. "Head hurts... Can't breathe... So this was the secret..." With that, Giygas collapsed and   
transformed in a flash.  
  
* * *   
  
Ness burst through the door and found a sleeping Paula. He knelt beside the bed and checked her pulse. "Whew, she's just   
fine." She stirred and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Hrmmm..." Her eyes fluttered and her left arm twitched a   
little. "Paula?" She turned her head a little. "Ow..." She whispered. Ness nodded. "Save your strength. I'm right here."   
He took a hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. A faint smile appeared on her face. She fell asleep and   
went limp. The machines hooked to her were still giving readouts, so he had no cause for alarm. He heard something   
from downstairs and immediately worried about Giygas. He stood and quietly left the room, and ran downstairs.   
What he saw shocked him. Giygas lay on the floor, unconscious. Pokey was out cold and looked like he'd stay   
that way for a long time. Ness turned back to Giygas. Instead of the tattered guard uniform that he'd been wearing,   
Giygas wore a normal-looking suit, a fedora hat, and black shoes. "Uh, Giygas?" He heard a mumble as Giygas rolled   
over. "Ness...?" He sat up and looked at himself. Ness went white as a ghost. "What's wrong, Ness?"   
"You're human again!"  
"What? Really?"  
"By defeating Pokey, you defeated your own inner evil!" Giygas stood and walked into the bathroom. He stared into   
the mirror at what appeared to be just your average person. "Whoa."   
"You're telling me."  
"This explains... Everything." Giygas looked at Ness with a thoughtful look. Ness sighed. "You're going to tell me,   
aren't you?" Without answering, Giygas gave his speech.  
"I was born in the 1920s under the name George Igor Lygas. Before the Second World War, my college major had been   
biochemistry. I had been first in my class, so the army called for me to work in their labs to create biological   
weapons. I had refused, but Aloysius Minch, my college roommate and second in our class, had agreed to help. Before he   
left college, we had exchanged some harsh words to each other. 'I'm not going because I don't want to be blamed for   
anything that goes wrong.' He called me bad names and left. There was more, but I can't remember it very well.  
"While he was away, I worked diligently and retained my number one spot. Two months later, Aloysius returned to   
the campus. He looked much different compared to when he had left. His hair went from curly red to wavy blonde. His   
walk, normally a type of confident stride, became a slow and sloppy shuffle. He spoke much more quietly. His class   
schedules had also changed, and he dropped out of all chemistry classes.   
The night of his return, he told me about the horrors he'd experienced, and all I could do was listen.   
'Their methods of biological tactics are tasteless and dishonorable. The scientists that worked there had few resources,   
cramped working space, and even worse sleeping quarters. The experiments they had me perform were absolutely horrible!'   
He explained that when another scientist had an accident with the experiment they had been working on, he left.  
"After describing to me what his work included, Aloysius suffered a seizure and passed out. Luckily, the college   
hospital had been just across the street and our room was on the second floor, so I picked him up and took him straight   
over. The doctor said he didn't know what was wrong with Aloysius, but that his brain would most likely never be the same   
from whatever trauma he'd gone through."  
Ness headed for the lobby and motioned for Giygas to follow. "So what you're telling me," Ness said as he started   
up the stairs, with Giygas following, "is that your name is George?" George nodded. "In the 1920s, names weren't as   
hard to pronounce, and the letter L was silent, so while my initials were G.I.L, people called me G.I. Ygas, or Giygas."   
Back in Paula's room, Ness sat next to her bed as George sat on a chair near the wall. Paula had fallen back asleep and   
Ness would explain everything to her when she felt better. "Continue, George."   
"Over the months that passed, Aloysius' condition grew worse. He began muttering nonsense and could no longer   
walk. I cared for him in the best way I could; told him how my day had gone, read him books, and even helped write a   
report on his condition, but nothing I could do would help save him. On May 2, 1940, he passed on." Ness shook his   
head. "Serious stuff." George only nodded.   
"Wait, that's only half the story. How did you become that horrible monster?" George scratched his head. "I'm not   
quite sure I remember... If I do, I'll tell you about it later. She's waking up." He pointed at Paula, who rolled over   
and started opening her eyes. "You're back..." She faintly whispered. He grinned and shushed her. "Don't waste your   
energy. You'll need it." It was miraculous to him that she survived. She barely noticed George sitting on the opposite   
side of the room. She pointed weakly and Ness gave a brief explanation. "This is George Lygas. He used to be Giygas.   
Don't worry, he's back to normal and on our side." She breathed a sigh of relief.   
Suddenly, Ness heard something downstairs. "Be right back. George, watch her for me." George nodded and Ness headed   
out of the room and down the stairs. At the bottom, he noticed the SpiderMech gone, as well as Pokey. All that remained   
was a letter. He opened it and read the words. "Hello Loser, my brother came and picked my stuff up. We'll be   
retreating to a different time now. Catch us if you can! -Pokey."  
"Well crap," he muttered. He'd hoped everything would keep balance. Suddenly, there was a bright flash and an   
odd-looking SpiderMech dropped in through a portal in the ceiling. He could identify the passenger without looking up.   
"Hello, loser. I see you got my letter. We can finish this now, since no other era has allowed my presence." Ness sighed.   
"This again? Why don't you give up? You've lost twice, and no one supports you anymore. If you still think you can win,   
then you're in denial." Pokey chuckled.  
"You don't get it, Ness. I must fight. If I don't, then losers like you will eventually take over all of us cool guys.   
Therefore, if I kill you here and now, then the dork population will be thin enough for the cool guys to maintain   
control, making my plan-" Ness interrupted. "Shut up." Ness took his hat off and threw it against the wall. He brushed   
his hair with his hand and looked at Pokey, who looked stunned. Ness's hair, brown and curly, made him look entirely   
different.   
With his diversion working, Ness tried his PSI Rockin skill. "PSI Rockin Omega!" A bright flash shot from Ness's   
fingertips and struck the engine block, which exploded. The SpiderMech imploded on itself in a great blast, crushing Pokey   
and knocking Ness into the wall behind him. He kept consciousness but felt something running down his face. He wiped his   
brow with his hand and noticed a few drops of a light-red liquid drip down. "Well crap," he muttered.  
He could tell Pokey was dead, since there were red splotches covering the floor by the SpiderMech. "That's the end   
of that, I hope." There was a bright flash as another SpiderMech, the original version Pokey had once used, dropped from   
a portal in the ceiling. "Crap! Don't you ever die?" He heard a more child-like voice. "You killed my brother!? You're   
gonna get it now, Ness!" Ness sighed. "Great. Here we go again. PSI Rockin Omega!" There was another bright flash, but   
nothing happened. The SpiderMech hovered in midair, no action occurring.   
"What did I hit?" Ness carefully got a firm grip on one of the turrets and boosted himself for a look inside. The   
inside was smoky, and nothing remained but a small trace of a fine black powder. "Done like dinner," Ness murmured.   
"How am I gonna move this thing? Hmm..." Ness thought for a few moments, but had an idea that would work perfectly.   
He headed for the stairs.  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
12:37 AM  
Northern Onett  
Ness's mother was worried about her boy. "Do you think he didn't make it?" She shook her head at Tracy. "He's been all   
over the world. What could stop him?" There was a loud explosion outside that shook the house, which both startled her and   
filled her with memories. "Almost like 3 years ago..." Tracy mumbled and headed upstairs. She heard what sounded like   
two teenagers fighting and headed for the door. Before opening it, she listened to the angry conversation taking place.   
"I told you I was a bad driver!"  
"Well you could've let me drive!"  
"I hadn't thought of that at the time!"  
"Do you ever think?" Suddenly, there was another voice. "Now calm down, you two. Paula, it wasn't Ness's fault.   
He got us here in one piece, didn't he? And Ness, it's rude to yell this late at night. Now lets go inside. We have   
some work to do." Ness's mother opened the door and squinted, but couldn't see in the darkness.  
Then, the three dark figures appeared from the south. Two were shorter while one was very tall. The shorter   
person on the left began to sprint for the door. "Hi mom, we're home." Once all three people entered, she closed the   
door. The older man wore clothing that she once saw in her great-grandfather's closet. Ness answered the unspoken   
question. "This is someone that helped us out, so we're repaying him by letting stay the night. If that's all right with   
you, that is." She nodded. "Sure. A friend of yours is always welcome to stay. I hope you like Steak, Mr..."   
"Lygas. George Lygas."  
"Sounds kinda familiar. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lucas."  
"That's Lygas."  
"Sorry." Ness mumbled something to Paula, who chuckled a little. "Mom, we'll be going upstairs now." Ness's mother   
nodded. "Okay, dear. I'll call when dinner is ready." Ness, Paula and George headed into Ness's room to discuss the day's   
events. Ness sat on his bed and sighed. "It's amazing, all this happened in one day. I can't believe how or why, and I   
don't want to, but there it is. Jeff and Poo are gone, but so are Pokey and Picky, so the world will be safe for a nice   
long time."  
George, standing next to Paula by the door, thought for a moment. "I have an idea that will make everything a lot   
easier, Ness. First, however, we need the bodies of Jeff and Poo." Ness stared at George for a moment, curious. "What did   
you have in mind?" George hesitated, but explained his plan. "Well, it's a long shot, but my PSI powers may be enough to   
bring those two back. They'd be alive, but would need a lot of skilled doctors to keep them alive. This may be a problem,   
depending on how well the doctors around here work. Also, their revival will be at the cost of my life."  
Ness took in the information and thought for a few minutes. "Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself?" George   
nodded. "I've been alive much too long; I've fulfilled my goal on Earth, and I'm ready to depart." Ness thought again.   
"What are the odds of this working?" asked Paula. "About 1 in 50, maybe 1 in 100. It's tough to tell, depending on how   
much of my power is left." Ness made his mind up. "We'll do it," he said. George nodded and headed downstairs. "If we want   
this to work, we'll have to move fast, and move now."   
  
12:40 AM  
Southern Onett  
Poo's body was still in the hospital, which was almost in complete ruins and was empty of workers. George climbed   
out of the SpiderMech and rushed in to grab the body while Ness and Paula waited. While waiting, Ness reached in his   
coat pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in red paper and about the size of his fist.   
"I almost forgot to give this to you, Paula. Your birthday is tomorrow, but I didn't want to forget, so here." He   
handed her the box, and she unwrapped and opened it. "Why, Ness, it's..." She stared at the rather large diamond ring   
sitting in the small box. "Remember when we went shopping a few months ago? This is the ring you wanted. I bought it while   
you were off somewhere else."  
"Oh, thank you so much! It means a lot to me!" She hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back. "Happy birthday,   
Paula." She looked into his eyes and wanted to kiss him, but George returned from inside, carrying Poo. They released   
each other while George chuckled. "I was a kid once, you know. But we have a lot of work to finish, so it can wait until   
when we're done." Ness and Paula nodded and hopped back in the SpiderMech.  
  
12:43 AM  
Winters  
George found the coffin that Jeff had been buried in earlier in the day. He opened it, took Jeff's body, and   
climbed back into the SpiderMech. George said, "It's getting a little cramped in here, don't you think?" Ness nodded   
and set the autopilot to Twoson Hospital. The SpiderMech took off in a flash, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.  
  
12:45 AM  
Twoson Hospital  
George carried Poo and Ness carried Jeff. Paula called Dr. Kerns before they landed in the No-Parking zone in front   
of the hospital. Two paramedics appeared almost immediately with two stretchers. George and Ness set the bodies on the   
stretchers, which were wheeled inside. Dr. Kerns showed up two minutes after Paula called. "What's going on?" Ness   
turned and greeted the doctor. "My two friends, who were killed by Pokey, can be revived. We need a good doctor like   
you to help keep them alive."   
"They both have large holes through their sternums."  
"I know that, but there are ways to repair these things."  
"Well, if you really need my help..."  
"I can pay you $10,000 for each day their statuses get better. If you can get them back to 100%, then I will be forever   
in your debt." Dr. Kerns looked astounded. "How did you get so much money for a 16-year old?" Ness smiled. "My allowance."  
Dr. Kerns shook his head and headed inside, followed by George, Ness, and Paula. Ness saw George writing something on a   
piece of paper but was more curious as to whether or not Jeff and Poo would survive.   
Ness turned to Paula. "So do you really think this'll work?" She nodded. "I hope." Ness said, "Me too." Finally,   
when the two stretchers were put into a room, George folded the note, wrote something on the folded part, and stuck it   
in his pocket. The paramedics left and George stood in between the two stretchers. Ness, Paula, and Dr. Kerns stood on the   
opposite side, waiting.   
Dr. Kerns called three other doctors, who would be in within the next two minutes. George turned to Ness. "I want you   
to take care of your loved ones. Be kind and loving, and they will stay with you forever." He glanced at Paula, then   
turned back to Jeff and Poo.  
"Doctor, as soon as I fall, I want you and your crew here working on fixing these two up. Work as though their   
injuries are livable and you will do fine." With this, George held his hands over the two bodies and said "PSI Remover!"   
There was a bright flash as George's life drained into the dead pair. George felt his health fading, and finally he   
finished. His PSI, in the form of pure revival energy, flowed through the veins of Jeff and Poo, repairing and bringing   
their lives back. The holes in their bodies had closed, but their blood was in short supply. George collapsed and Dr. Kerns   
moved straight in, calling the other doctors in the room.  
Ness and Paula could only sit and watch. Ness tuned the doctors' voices out and leaned back in his chair, falling   
asleep. Paula sat, wondering if she could help. Dr. Kerns shouted, "I need a pint of some A- as soon as possible!" Paula   
took that as her chance. "I'm an A-, take it from me." One of the doctors turned to her. "You afraid of needles?" She   
shook her head. "Take as much as you need, but leave enough to keep me alive." The doctor readied some emergency blood   
transfusion gear.  
  
2:30 AM  
Twoson Hospital  
Ness woke up and looked around. Everything had calmed down. Paula lay sleeping in the chair next to him, her   
head resting on his shoulder. Dr. Kerns was watching Jeff and Poo, who were hooked up to several machines. "Doctor?   
How did it go?" Dr. Kerns jumped and turned. "Oh, you scared me. Well, we saved them in good timing, thanks to your   
girlfriend's help." Ness felt himself go red but he still asked how she helped. "She gave two pints of her own blood   
to help these boys, who were remarkably the same blood type."  
"Where's George's body?"  
"We took it to the morgue. I'll be checking up on his body in a moment. Would you like to go with?" Ness nodded.   
"How are these two doing so far?" Dr. Kerns looked a little puzzled. "Well, they're doing remarkably fine. Somehow,   
their natural healing systems are faster than we had expected, and they can be released in 3 weeks, if they continue this   
fast healing. Luckily, no bones were destroyed, but their muscles will be very sore for at least another month, and they   
can't take deep breaths for the next week or so." Ness sighed, relaxed. "At least they'll live." Dr. Kerns nodded.  
"Well, how about George, doctor?" Dr. Kerns replied, "Okay, let's go. I'm also curious as to how he has PSI power."   
They headed to the morgue, where George sat on a table, lifeless and pale. "I checked his clothing and found a letter   
addressed to you. You may want to read it while I examine the body." Dr. Kerns handed him the letter, which Ness opened.   
He read it while hearing George's voice narrate it in his mind. "If you're reading this, then I'm dead, obviously. I never   
told you about how I became what I was, so I wrote this letter.  
"A month after Aloysius' death, an army officer returned and asked me to work on the new drug that could cure rare   
diseases. I accepted and worked with what I was given, but it was all a ploy to get me to build a dangerous biological   
weapon. I had made one vial of the serum, and once I learned of the army's plan, I injected myself with the serum,   
which slowly ate away at my feelings. In one year, I had turned into a violent animal. Instead of what I had thought   
I created, it was much different. I merely became evil instead of being inflicted with some form of slow, horrible death.   
My physical features changed tremendously, also. I can not describe how I looked because my memory is fuzzy   
in places. In the '50s, I was found by the government again and was given the name Giygas, since no one knew what   
the 'G' or the 'I' stood for on my college ID. I had been the first person known to have the power of PSI. Others   
with the power appeared slowly, though I'm not sure how it is created. For 37 years, the government kept me for testing   
of various drugs, which further molded me into what I was. I was kept in a hidden base near Stonehenge. The powers   
of my mind slowly took over all the workers in the base, turning them into my slaves. Yes, the starmen were actual   
people. The only robotic starman was the Starman Invincible, which Pokey had stolen right before our battle.  
"My starmen built massive robotic armies while I controlled them from that base. When you began your journey, I   
retreated to the Cave of the Past and looked for a new mind to corrupt. Aloysius had an older brother, Bob Minch.   
He was 30 when Aloysius died, and named his first son after his little brother. That Aloysius, in turn, had two sons,   
Pokey and Picky.   
I slowly worked my way into Pokey's brain, corrupting him. I took a Minch because of their arrogant tendencies. Picky   
would've been the better choice, but Pokey was older. I gave Pokey things he'd need, and he used them wisely until you   
reached the Cave of the Past. He became nervous and very irritated.  
The last time I saw him was during the battle. He wanted to get out of there, you could tell. Well, you know what   
happened after that, so I suppose I'll stop writing now. I hope I answered your question, Ness. It's unfortunate I won't   
see you again, but I'm sure you're in the morgue with that doctor right now. I hope you take care of your friends and   
family, and especially Paula. You two are perfect for each other, but you're only 16, so I'll let you decide for yourself.   
Your friend, George."  
Ness folded the letter back up and stuffed it in his pocket. He was amazed at how small George could write. He stood   
and said, "Doctor, I have something to take care of. I have to take my leave. You will receive your pay in the mail later."   
Dr. Kerns said his goodbye, and Ness left, heading back to the room where Jeff and Poo were. Paula was still asleep in   
the chair. He scooped her up and carried her out of the room and out of the hospital, to her home near the hospital. He   
left her in her room while he went downstairs to talk to her parents.   
"I'm glad to see she's doing well," her father said sleepily. Ness simply sat on the downstairs couch and nodded.   
Paula's mother turned to him. "Why are you here so early? What exactly happened in the hospital, Ness?" Ness looked up   
and said, "apparently, her condition cured a lot faster than anyone thought. Also, she had to give some blood to   
help an emergency patient. She was the only matching blood type in the local area." Paula's mother nodded. "I see." Ness   
heard a noise upstairs but shrugged it off. "Ness? You down there?" He glanced over to her father, who said, "go ahead,   
you have my permission." Ness stood and walked upstairs.  
"Hi, Paula." She was sitting on her bed almost in a daze, still worn out from giving blood. "Feeling better yet?"   
She nodded. "Thank you for being with me, Ness. I hope you know I enjoy your company." He smiled and replied, "I know,   
and I enjoy your company also." He noticed the ring on her finger and said, "Oh, you're wearing it. I hadn't noticed."   
She grinned. "I really love it, Ness." He shrugged. "I do what I can for my friends." Paula looked hurt. "Only... friend?"   
Ness shook his head.   
"Then what am I to you? I'd like to know."  
"Well, you're more than friend. You're a really great person to be with, and everyone seems to agree on this point.   
A lot of people think we're perfect for each other."  
"But..."  
"Well, I'm not sure quite yet. All this stuff happening so fast just makes me feel dizzy. All I know is if I just   
make it up off the top of my head and improvise anywhere I can, then everything should be fine."   
"That really didn't answer my question, but I understand how you feel."  
"Well, all I can say is that I agree with the people that think we're perfect for each other." Paula felt her heart   
skip a beat when she heard that. "Really? You mean it?" He nodded. "Although sometimes it's tough to say it, and it   
feels odd since I never said it to anyone before, well, I love you." She was about to run into his arms and hug him to   
death but the phone rang. "Is Ness there?" said the voice on the line. Paula sighed and said to Ness, "it's your mother."  
"Great." He took the phone and said "Hello?"  
"I found you. Finally! Where are you at this time of night? What do you think you're doing? It's 3 AM, for Pete's   
sake!" He sighed and said, "I'll come home in a few minutes, mom. Honestly!"   
"You'd better not be lying, or you'll be grounded."  
"Mom, I'm 16. I'm too old to be grounded."  
"Not while I'm your mother. Now I want you home by 3:45 at the latest, since it's such a long walk. I mean it, Ness."  
"Okay, I'll be home then."  
"Bye, then."  
"Bye." He hung up and shrugged to Paula. "I have another 40 minutes or so, unless someone moves the SpiderMech."   
She sighed. "The moment was ruined. Stupid phone call." He nodded. "Well, what now?" She shrugged. "Let's go check up   
on Jeff and Poo." He agreed and they left.  
When they reached the room in the Intensive Care ward, the beds were empty and one lone doctor was in the room.   
Ness looked around and said, "Where are they, doctor?" The doctor looked up at Ness and said, "They were moved after their   
conditions were declared more stable. They won't be doing much moving for now, but they'll be just fine." Ness sighed.   
"Well, we checked up on them, like we said. Let's go." Ness and Paula left the hospital and had nowhere to go.   
"Now what do you want to do, Paula?" She shrugged. "I'm really tired Ness, why don't you go home?" He nodded   
and replied, "You're right. I'll see you later." With that, he headed for the SpiderMech and she headed back to her   
house. Lying in bed, Paula sighed. "Did I do the right thing?" She fell fast asleep.  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
December 31, 11:55 PM  
Ness' House  
Ness sat on the couch next to Paula, who had visited to celebrate New Year's Eve. Tracy was playing fetch with   
King, and Ness's mother had gone to the store to pick up supplies. "Well, it's almost New Years', Ness. You know the   
tradition, right?" Ness gave Paula a weird look. "What, the eat 12 grapes thing?" Paula shook her head. "No, that's in   
a different country. You never learned the tradition?" Ness shook his head. "No one ever told me about a tradition..."  
"Well, the tradition is that if you kiss the person you love the most on the 12th chime of the bell on New Years   
Eve, you and your loved one will be with together for the rest of your life."   
"Do you believe it?"  
"Well, kind of..."  
  
11:57 PM  
Snow Wood  
Jeff's recovery was slow but gradual, and just a few days ago his muscles loosened enough that he could walk again.   
His days had been painful but Ness and Paula had visited often enough to keep his spirits high. He sat in a chair   
watching television with Tony, Maxwell Labs, and other inhabitants of the Snow Wood Boarding House. "3 more minutes until   
the ball reaches the bottom!" said the reporter in Fourside, watching the annual New Years ball.   
Suddenly, the main gate opened and a man rushed in. "My son! Jeff!" Dr. Andonuts saw his son, walked over to him,   
and shook his hand. "Happy New Years, son." Jeff replied, "Thanks for stopping by, dad. Happy New Years."   
  
11:59 PM  
Dalaam  
Poo's recovery was much faster than Jeff's was, and he was almost back to his regular life. He sat in his throne   
watching the large and expensive clock his father gave to him. "One more minute", he said to himself. Suddenly,   
there was a bright flash and his old teacher, the Star Master, appeared. "Happy New Years, Poo..." Poo felt almost   
shocked. "Star Master? Why are you here?"   
"I felt that I should be here, son."   
"Son? You're my father?" Poo shook his head. "Why did you never tell me?" The Star Master shrugged. "Never enough   
time. I must be going, but I'll always be your father. Goodbye, my boy." With that, the Star Master disappeared in   
another flash, leaving Poo in shock. The bell began to ring.  
  
January 1, 12:00 AM  
Ness' House  
Well, he'd done it. On the 12th ring of the bell, he'd leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As Paula sat   
in near-shock, Ness put his arm around her and continued to watch TV. "What... Did you just-" Ness pulled her a little   
closer to him and whispered "I love you" in her ear. She looked at him, gave him a teary-eyed smile, and kissed him   
back. "I love you too", she said.  
  
THE END 


End file.
